Thread: Automotive Industry Challenge

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A forward from my boss...

Automotive Industry Challenge



These comments come from a senior level Chrysler person:


"Monday morning I attended a breakfast meeting where the speaker/guest was David E. Cole, Chairman, Center for Automotive Research (CAR and Professor at the Univ. of Michigan . You have all likely heard CAR quoted, or referred to in the auto industry news lately.

Mr. Cole, who is an engineer by training, told many stories of the difficulty of working with the folks that the Obama administration has sent to save the auto industry. There have been many meetings where a 30+ year experience automotive expert has to listen to a newcomer to the industry, someone with zero manufacturing experience, zero auto industry experience, zero business experience, zero finance experience, and zero engineering experience, tell them how to run their business.

Mr. Cole's favorite story is as follows:

There was a team of Obama people speaking to Mr. Cole (Engineer, automotive experience 40+ years, Chairman of CAR). They were explaining to Mr. Cole that the auto companies needed to make a car that was electric and liquid natural gas (LNG) with enough combined fuel to go 500 miles so we wouldn't "need" so many gas stations (A whole other topic). They were quoting BTU's of LNG and battery life that they had looked up on some website.

Mr. Cole explained that to do this you would need a trunk FULL of batteries and a LNG tank as big as a car to make that happen and that there were problems related to the laws of physics that prevented them from . . . .


The Obama person interrupted and said (and I am quoting here) "These laws of physics . . whose rules are those? We need to change that. (Some of the others wrote down the law name so they could look it up.) We have the congress and the administration. We can repeal that law, amend it, or use an executive order to get rid of that problem. That's why we are here, to fix these sorts of issues."

NOTE: CHANGE THE LAWS OF PHYSICS ?!?! In reference to the above paragraph of this message, maybe *that's* what Obama had in mind when he said he wanted "change"!!!

The DUMBING down of america. The kids that attend college are not paying attention. Now they are running the country.
To many cellphones , to much texting , not enough learning. Sad.

thank you evolvo

Originally Posted by Evolvo

If you believe this happened I've got the old Brooklyn Bridge in my backyard, would you like to buy it?

Sure, I'll come look at it. I hope it's there for your...

Judging from their bottom line, the INDUSTRY EXPERTS have the head up their third point of contact.

maybe, just maybe, the industry newcomer can pull their head out, and once they get some fresh air, they can make some intelligent decisions.

Hard to brag on your expertise and knowledge when your entire industry is going down the tubes, and the CEOs are STILL making millions in bonuses.

thanks evolvo i also enjoy yours.

Originally Posted by firebird77clone

Judging from their bottom line, the INDUSTRY EXPERTS have the head up their third point of contact.

maybe, just maybe, the industry newcomer can pull their head out, and once they get some fresh air, they can make some intelligent decisions.

Hard to brag on your expertise and knowledge when your entire industry is going down the tubes, and the CEOs are STILL making millions in bonuses.

This I have to agree with. Nothing against the guys on the assembly line, most of them are regular working stiffs just doing their job. The guys at the top are the ones who ran it all into the crapper and what do they care? Even if they get fired most of them still walk away with more money than you or I will ever see. I just feel bad for all the blue collar guys who ended up on the street because of it.

Can someone explain to me why we keep saying that those at the top "blew it" ? We all know that the average american wanted no part of the tiny econo box average auto! Give me a SUV was our chant! SUV's and the similar types were all the rage! Wasn't 'til gas got to 3 bucks a gallon - then 4 +.. then NOBODY wanted what was sittin' on the dealers lot! Same thing happened twice in the 70's! All of a sudden we got pintos and vegas all over again.

I don't think we shoulda bailed them out either. They should get themselves through the mess (if they can) and if they can pay out the big bonuses and keep afloat, then by gawd, do it!

Crawling off my soapbox now....

Originally Posted by 34_40

Can someone explain to me why we keep saying that those at the top "blew it" ? We all know that the average american wanted no part of the tiny econo box average auto! Give me a SUV was our chant! SUV's and the similar types were all the rage! Wasn't 'til gas got to 3 bucks a gallon - then 4 +.. then NOBODY wanted what was sittin' on the dealers lot! Same thing happened twice in the 70's! All of a sudden we got pintos and vegas all over again.

I don't think we shoulda bailed them out either. They should get themselves through the mess (if they can) and if they can pay out the big bonuses and keep afloat, then by gawd, do it!

Crawling off my soapbox now....

I'm no expert in this stuff, but I've heard a few people in the industry claim building the same basic vehicle in different plants was the mistake. For instance, building a P.U. with the GM, GMC, and Cadillac name. It takes too much money and time to react to a changing market and/or economy.
Again, just what I've heard.

Hey...I like Vegas!